Brave Face
by Arianna of the Sea
Summary: Missing scene for the episode Give me Liberte: a short conversation between Katie and Ben after Ben's been infected with the virus and is in quarantine.  Slightly romantic so I put it partailly in the romance genre.


**A/N: I love the whole Ben and Katie relationship. In the show they make small hints that the two of them really do still have feelings for each other and for some reason I just get the feeling that there's more to them than the show lets on. It takes place before the end of the episode **_**Give me Liberte**_** from season one**.

**Disclaimer: SeaQuest of property of Universal Studios. I'm just using a couple characters for my own amusement. **

Brave Face

She stood in the med lab for over twenty minutes before approaching the isolation chamber. It had taken her nearly two hours to convince herself to come down and see her ex husband, now all she wanted to do was run away. On top of everything Katie was emotionally exhausted. She had always dreamed of commanding the SeaQuest, but she didn't want it under the circumstances. Relieving Commander Ford of duty was probably the hardest thing she'd ever done in her career. And to do it with grace… it took everything in her not to scream. Then the French sub, they grated her nerves raw. Now Ben had to go get himself in trouble, again! Katie didn't have to be there in the first place. There was no obligation to see him, they weren't married anymore, but for some reason she couldn't let herself fall asleep without seeing him. A small pang of resentment washed over her as she looked at Commander Ford laying on the bunk bed in the corner. He tore open Ben's hazmat suite, condemning him to the same fate Ford himself had been sentence too. It wasn't his fault though. The virus had messed with his emotions making his normally cool demeanor erratic. He was wound tighter than an angry rattle snake; it was only a matter of time before he lashed out. Now the two people she cared about most on this boat, her friend and her ex husband had been handed almost a sure death sentence.

Ben was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and head pressed to his knees which he pulled in to his chest. He had a look on his face of total and utter defeat. She flinched and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Katie had only seen him look like that twice in all the years she'd known him, when his "old man" passed away their last year at the academy, and when she handed him their divorce papers. It was a look that was burned into the back of her brain and caused her more pain than she could admit. His defenses were always up and seeing them down now— he'd already given up. Ben without his optimism, the though made her shutter. A small tear dripped down her cheek. She inhaled sharply and wiped it away. Then she looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

She never wanted to hurt him when they got divorced; she loved him and always would. She also knew that despite what he told her a couple weeks ago, that he just loved the "idea of her", he lied to protect his own heart. He still loved her, it was in his eyes. People just can't fall out of love despite what she had been told by her mother. It was always there lingering, festering, hiding in the dark corners of her heart. Their marriage never worked out the way they planed; Ben thought he could get Katie to go along with his schemes and dreams. Katie thought she could keep Ben's feet on the ground where they belonged. All those expectations… it was only a matter of time before their whole marriage came apart at the seams. So much easier to destroy it than to try and fix it. The divorce had been as easy as any divorce could have been. They didn't have any kids to worry about, and Ben let her have anything she wanted. When she asked him why he wanted nothing he told her, "Katie, when you grow up with nothing, you realizes in the end, that's all you ever get. Take care of your self. Don't worry about me I'll be fine." Then he kissed her on the cheek and left, leaving her in tears and her attorney trying to ask her to dinner. She smiled as she recalled slamming his nose into the table. It didn't break, thank God, but it did bleed. Hard to believe it's been a year already.

Ben didn't even notice Katie walk up to the glass. "Ben?" Her soft voice came though the speakers. He looked up surprised and quickly tried to dial up a smile.

"Hey Katie, now I know what a goldfish must feel like," he replied trying to sound as pert as possible. "What are you doing here so late? You look like hell."

"Mmm hmmm, I could say the same for you, but that may be paying you a compliment." She countered trying to keep their conversation light. "I… I came to see if you needed anything. How's everyone doing?" She nodded towards Commander Ford. A frown twitched across Ben's face before he could stop it.

"His virus seems to be advancing faster than the rest of us. Dr. Westphalen thinks that his stress is causing his rapid deterioration. That's why Captain Bridger ordered him to watch the movie I bought in. It's a good movie, honestly, but what didn't tell him is it's about three hours long." A small smile curled up the sides of his mouth. "I actually think he fell asleep about an hour ago. I've not heard a peep out of him. First time he's been quiet in hours. His moods have been erratic and we've all been suffering from these crazy muscle spasms. I… I can't get my left arm to stop shaking. I've also got this throbbing headache that started right at the base of my scull. Dr. Levin's heading down the same road as Commander Ford, he's been trying to keep calm by doing crossword puzzles, but he breaks a pencil with each spasm. I think he's gone though an entire pack of twelve and started on another. Phillips just pulled a clump of his hair out and… Katie I'm scared. What's going to happen to us? I feel like some kid's science fair guinea pig stuck in a fish bowl." She put her hand on the glass and Ben followed suite by placing his hand over hers. She'd almost forgotten how big his hands were. His right palm had a small scar where he put a nail though it while trying to hang a painting in their first apartment. They held their hands there for a several moments trying to connect though the impersonal barrier.

"I think you need to trust that Dr. Westphalen and Captain Bridger are doing everything they can to fix this situation. I know for a fact the Captain's risked his own life trying to recover a sample of bone marrow to hopefully develop a cure for this virus."

"Is that what all that commotion was a few hours ago?" Katie nodded. "Is it working?"

"We don't know yet? Dr. Westphalen is running more tests. Hopefully we'll know by morning. Anyway Ben I was wondering if there's anyone you'd want to call. Lieutenant O'Neill is ready to open a line if you want."

"No thanks, I think I'm good."

"What about your mother?" Ben's face fell again.

"What about her?" His voice was a low whisper so no one else could hear him.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I didn't want to worry you. Six months ago Mom had a stroke and it damaged part of her brain causing severe dementia. She has no idea who I am anymore. She can't even recognize me as her own son. When I do talk to her I'm either my father, or Uncle Gregory. She's in a nursing home in Jacksonville, and every time I call the nurses tell me that she freaks out and starts screaming for my father to come back after I hang up the phone. I'm not aloud to call anymore because it upsets her too much. Plus it's 0530 on the east coast, to early to call now anyway."

"Ben I… I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Just so you know. I never changed you as my medical proxy and contact on my forms."

"Why?"

"I don't know I guess I never got around to it. Or maybe part of me knew that if it came down to it, you'd have my best interests at heart. If Dr. Westphalen doesn't come up with a cure for this virus in time, I trust you to make the right decisions." Tears were forming in Katie's eyes making the bright blue seem almost surreal. Moisture pooled in the side of Ben's eyes as well.

"Let's cross that bridge if we come to it, alright?"

"Alright, let's not write me off so quickly huh?"

"Ben I could never write you off. Somehow you always seem to charm and nettle your way into everything and if anyone can get though this it would be you." Then she dried her tears and tried to sound as commanding as possible. "Besides everyone in there needs their Morale Officer. Come on Ben it's your job to keep them calm and happy. You're good at your job, don't quite now."

"Thank you Kats." She smiled, he used her pet name. While they were still married he used to call her Kats, because when he first tried to ask her out called her the  
"Cat's Meow". The pet name just stuck with her ever since. Katie looked around and leaned in closer to the speaker.

"I would watch the use of pet names over the speakers unless you want everyone to hear me call you Hairy Bear." Ben couldn't help but laugh. Katie breathed a sigh of relief as some of the fear in her ex husband's eyes disappeared.

"I thought we agreed to call me HB for short. It sounds more like a spy code." He put his hand over his mouth. "HB to Kats… come in Kats. The target is in sight." Katie chuckled lightly.

"Glad to help you feel a little better. Why don't you try and get some sleep. I'll come back before I'm on duty tomorrow morning and I'll see if there's anything I can do to help."

"Good night Kats."

"Good night Hairy Bear."

"It's HB remember." She turned to head out but then turned back to the glass wall and pressed her lips to the glass. Ben bent down to meet her. Although the glass was cool against his lips, he swore he could feel her warmth radiating though it.

"Good night HB."

**I know it's short but I hope you all liked it. **

**One idea I had for a later fanfic was to try and take a SeaQuest episode and extrapolate it to make it like an episode of Glee where they break out in song, or make up and episode like a Glee episode but I can't seem to do anything with it. If anyone wants to try, go a head but message me if you do because I'd love to read it. It may sound horrible but part of me thinks it would be really funny.**


End file.
